The Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation provides critical perspectives on topics relevant to Information Systems Evaluation, with an emphasis on the organisational and management implications

Editorial

We have pleasure in presenting this special issue of EJISE. As Information and Communications Technologies and the related Information Systems become ever more pervasive across all spheres of business, government and community based organizations, the scope of this journal has flexed to accommodate these varied settings in which pertinent research problems are located. Consequently, in this special issue wide‑ranging problems related to the broad ambit of IS evaluation is reported on:

As many countries continue to develop policies to enhance and sustain the growth of the SME sector, so too does the expenditure and consumption of IT amongst this category of business grow at an ever increasing rate thus warranting the attention of evaluation research. Avraam Papastathopoulos and Christina Beneki investigate an important concern with regards to the factors which are associated with the benefits from the adoption of ICTs amongst SMEs. In a study of the Greek SME sector the paper provides evidence that strategy plays a major role in the adoption and the appropriate use of ICTs. Importantly their research also finds that prior entrepreneurial experience‑knowledge of ICT is significantly associated with the ICT performance.

RFID technologies are increasingly used in a number of organisational settings for inventory control and management. Paul Golding and Vanesa Tennant contribute to our understanding of evaluation by proposing a methodology to evaluate the RFID inventory reader in a library. Whilst the findings of this paper hone in on the application of RFID in a specific environment, the findings provide a basis for which evaluation of RFID in other similar contexts can take place, and thus adds to the conceptual base on RFID performance testing.

Notwithstanding many years of case studies and an increasing body of literature on ERP implementation and evaluation thereof questions continue to arise in respect of successful outcomes. Brian O’Donovan and his co‑authors argue that during the ERP usage stage the intended efficiencies from ERP systems are not always realised. Having studied organisational memory mismatches and the resultant coping strategies their research posits that mismatches and short‑term coping strategies were found to contribute to ERP underperformance.

In their paper Peter Weimann and co authors investigate the role of communications culture in a distributed team environment. In assessing the role of ICTs in such an environment the paper argues that team member satisfaction and team success can only be accomplished if the communication culture in the company takes into account the technologies used and the distributed work setting.

From amongst the various IS evaluation approaches, those apporaches which focus on the role of human stakeholders are worthy of a deeper understanding. Jeffrey Bagraim examines the multiple commitments of information technology knowledge workers and the related outcomes of such commitment. The results of his study challenges managers to review their assumptions about the organizational commitments of information technology knowledge workers.

Web 2.0 applications also receive attention in this issue. Hooper and Evans investigate the value congruence of social networking services in New Zealand, and make an assessment of ethical information handling. Their findings demonstrate significant shortcomings in the contractual relationships between the users and social networking services and they argue that this could be exploited in order to misuse personally identifiable data.

The paper by Racheal Lindsay and co‑authors discusses measures which are used to monitor data quality in the context of mobile devices in the UK police force. Their findings show that whilst there are processes in place to verify data standards, these processes only take into consideration the structural completeness of data, and not other measurements of data quality, such as accuracy, timeliness, relevance, understandability and consistency.

Robbert in't Hout and coauthors studied how a wiki could be used to improve knowledge sharing. The paper reports on a case study in which a consulting company was able to improve knowledge sharing amongst consultants during the devleopment of a Municipal Traffic and Transport Plan. The findings suggest that wikis need to be tuned to the learning styles that are available within the community that will use the tool. In the context of knowledge sharing impolrtant lessons for wiki design are offered.

Finally, in a study of e‑government adoption, Rangarirai Matavire and co‑authors report on factors which inhibit the successful implementation of e‑government in South Africa. The findings of their research demonstrate that leadership, project fragmentation, perceived value of Information Technology, citizen inclusion and task co‑ordination are among the key inhibitors of e‑government success.

Abstract

Knowledge workers in the information technology industry typically enjoy global labour mobility and are considered critical to economic growth in developing countries. Organizational commitment amongst these knowledge workers is widely considered to be both improbable and unobtainable. The purpose of this study was to examine the multiple commitments of information technology knowledge workers and to examine the potential outcomes of these multiple commitment. A total of 282 usable questionnaires from knowledge workers employed in senior information technology occupations in both the public and private sector were analysed using a variety of statistical techniques. Particular care was taken to ensure that strict criteria guided the statistical analyses. Affective commitment across three commitment foci (i.e., the organization, immediate manager, and co‑workers) were measured using South African commitment scales derived from the scale items proposed by Meyer and Allen (1993). Established scales were used to measure three outcomes (i.e., turnover intentions, boosting behaviour, and helping behaviour). To assess the contribution of commitment foci in explaining the proposed outcomes, block hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used with a set of control variables entered in the first step. The results of the regression analyses showed a clear pattern illustrating the importance of identifying, measuring and managing commitment foci proximal to matching salient outcomes. Affective commitment to the organisation was a significant predictor of the organizationally salient outcomes of turnover intentions and boosting behaviours. Affective commitment to the immediate manager was also significantly and negatively related to turnover intentions and affective commitment to co‑workers was the only significant predictor of helping behaviours. Overall, the results are both surprising and encouraging. Surprising given the evidence of higher than expected levels of commitment amongst information systems knowledge workers, and encouraging given the amount of variance explained in salient organizational outcomes such as helping co‑workers, lower turnover intentions and an increased propensity to promote the organization to others. The results challenge managers to review their assumptions about the organizational commitments of information technology knowledge workers. The results also suggest the importance of future research to uncover commitment mechanisms that will inform the development and implementation of management practices and policies that enhance commitment amongst information technology knowledge workers.

Abstract

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology revolutionizes the library operations in areas of circulation and inventory management, and is anticipated to replace barcode. However, there is a surprisingly scarce number of conceptual and empirical researches on RFID performance testing in libraries. The literature has advocated that evaluation is an important activity in the problem‑solving process and that significant difficulties in performance can occur in the absence of test in the related environment. This paper will address and apply a methodology to evaluate the RFID inventory reader in a library with the intent to provide recommendations/best practices on the utility of an inventory reader. The methodology encompassed a design of experiment approach that investigates four factors: read angle (A), read distance (B), tag location (C) and shelf material (D). The findings suggested that read angle, read distance and tag location has a significant impact on the performance on the inventory reader. Initial findings on shelf type (wood or metal) suggest that this factor has an impact on read rate of the inventory reader. The results also shows significant interaction effects between some factors. It is anticipated that the findings may help researchers and library practitioners to understand and further investigate methods to optimize the performance of the reader.

Abstract

Social networking sites on the Internet have enjoyed considerable media publicity recently. Whereas conventional social interactions leave behind no record, similar social interactions performed on social networking websites, can leave behind detailed and possibly permanent records. A literature review of social networking sites and personal privacy indicates that users may be unwary when interacting with specific social networking sites and unaware of the potential consequences of interaction, or they may deliberately ignore the risks in preference for publicity and personal relationships. A content analysis was carried out to compare the terms of use and privacy statements of six social networking sites with one another. The twelve principles of the New Zealand Privacy Act of 1993 were used in the coding template because they represent the agreed national values on information handling in New Zealand. The study demonstrated significant shortcomings in the contractual relationships between the users and social networking services that could be exploited in order to misuse personally identifiable data. It highlighted the need for users and organisations to be aware of the terms of use and privacy statements to which they become contractually bound, as well as to understand what the network may do with user’s information. Particular concern related to the accuracy of the information collected and the deletion of historic data. Social networking services terms of use and privacy statements appear to be more concerned with exculpatory clauses than demonstrating a concern for user security. Because many users, especially adolescents, are more driven by peer group pressure and the behavioural conventions of their age cohort than concern for the dangers they face when posting personal information, current theory on the role of trust in online transactions is failing to explain the contemporary behavioural phenomenon of SNS use. The social responsibility implications arising from this phenomenon and the accountability of SNSs for any misuse of personally identifiable information through their websites are discussed. Some areas for further research are suggested.

Abstract

Developing a Municipal Traffic and Transport Plan (MTTP) is a long lasting and complex process. Many different disciplines are involved, as well as many stakeholders. The process may take more than two years. The larger municipalities in the Netherlands mostly develop their own plans. But for the medium sized and smaller municipalities private consultancies play a major role in the development of the MTTPs. This article describes a case study concerning improving the MTTP development process in such a consultancy. The company did reasonably well in the field, but could do better: a part of the knowledge present in the company wasn’t shared well enough, especially the exchange of knowledge and experience between senior and junior consultants which needed improvement. To improve the sharing, a wiki was developed. In interaction with the consultants a structure was proposed, allowing them to add the information they valued relevant for the development of the MTTPs. The wiki appeared to reveal not only explicit knowledge, but also tacit knowledge. On top of that, the tacit knowledge often was personal, subjective, and even divergent. The juniors were more eager to work with the wiki than the seniors. There still exists a difference between the generations in their ability and readiness to use ICT tools. Sharing the tacit knowledge, revealing the subjective perspectives of the consultants was confronting the company with its implicit learning styles. The staff of the company believed they worked with objective knowledge, and that only such knowledge was relevant in planning and decision making. The wiki revealed that the subjective aspects actually played a role within the company. After some interactions with the manager of the department, the structure of the wiki was adapted. One part of the wiki was meant for explicit, objective knowledge; the other part for tacit, subjective knowledge. Arrangements were made to create the role of moderator for the themes in the wiki ‑ seniors that could decide how to deal with the subjective information. The conclusion of this case can be that wikis aren’t just neutral tools. They need to be tuned to the learning styles that are available within the community that will use the tool. Pilots can help in revealing the way organisations deal with knowledge management. The article follows the chronology of the project. It starts with a short picture of the process of developing an MTTP and with a summary of the learning theories used to assess the challenges of the company. The article proceeds with the design of the wiki and the introduction of the first layout. It then describes the reactions from the consultants and the manager, and the adaptation of the wiki. The article ends with some conclusions on the way wikis can be designed.

Abstract

A recent UK government initiative enables police officers to input information directly into policing information systems via mobile devices. However, the impact and implications on data quality have not been assessed. The events of 9/11 and the Soham murders in the UK in 2002 may reflect high profile incidents of failure in information management practice within police forces that have amplified the need to scrutinise the monitoring of data quality. The tragedy of the Soham murders was partly caused by poor quality information regarding the offender, Ian Huntley, being held on disparate information systems. Consequently, intelligence and information held on people must be fully accurate, and therefore data quality plays a pivotal role. Despite the apparent severe impact of poor data quality on organisational effectiveness and decision‑making, previous research appears to have addressed these issues only within non‑policing sectors. The paper investigates what measures are used to monitor data quality via an empirical study within a UK police force, the Leicestershire Constabulary. It also evaluates the design of the interface of the crime‑input form and the impact this has on inputting quality information into the crime recording system, along with the implications of this for modern‑day law enforcement. Measurement of data quality was investigated by mapping aspects of the data quality monitoring process identified via qualitative data from semi‑structured interviews against the key attributes of data quality derived from a literature review. The design of the crime‑recording interface was evaluated via a series of focus groups with operational users of mobile technology prior to and following implementation of mobile devices. The research found that there are some processes in place to check that data follows specific standards, such as the recording of dates of birth. However, these processes only take into consideration the structural completeness of data, and other measurements of data quality, such as accuracy, timeliness, relevance, understandability and consistency are not considered. It also found that the existing interface is inefficient for a mobile environment, as there are numerous free‑text fields and duplication of data entry caused by a lack of system integration. The paper contributes to the existing small body of knowledge on data quality within a mobile policing environment. This knowledge can be applied by other law enforcement organisations looking to provide mobile access to their information and knowledge environment without reducing the level of data quality as a result of direct input of information.

Abstract

The growing adoption of eGovernment by countries worldwide is a testimony to its role as an effective tool for public service delivery. In South Africa, it has been adopted as one of the cornerstones of the government’s strategy for making services accessible to its citizens. Consequently, various national, provincial and local government eGovernment initiatives have been implemented. The Western Cape provincial initiative is, to date, one of the flagships. The province is home to numerous government sanctioned projects at varying degrees of completion. The purpose of this exploratory research was to identify some of the factors which inhibit the successful implementation of eGovernment in the Western Cape, South Africa. Using analysis techniques derived from Grounded Theory Methodology, we show that leadership, project fragmentation, perceived value of Information Technology, citizen inclusion and task co‑ordination are among the key inhibitors of eGovernment success in the Western Cape Province. The relationships between the constraints to successful eGovernment implementation are also elucidated. We also point to further areas of study that can illuminate the key concerns within eGovernment discourse.

Abstract

ERP systems are intended to encompass and integrate functions of an organisation resulting in organisational efficiencies. However, during the ERP usage stage these intended efficiencies are not always realised. One cause of this is organisational memory mismatches and the resultant coping strategies employed. Organisational memory can be described as the capability of organisations to retain and transmit information from past to future members and is evident in the persistence of organisational features after the implementation of ERP systems. Therefore to realise operational efficiencies, organisational memory mismatches between organisational memory and the ERP system need to be addressed. This is not possible without an understanding of the causes of mismatches and the subsequent coping strategies employed. To address this need, this paper presents an analysis of these mismatches, their causes as well as short‑ and long‑term coping strategies employed, and presents a resultant framework. This paper achieved its purpose through an interpretive case study of a large in‑use ERP system. The main data source was in‑depth interviews with users from 12 functional departments. The research identified causes of mismatches and the long and short‑term coping strategies adopted as a result of these mismatches. Mismatches and short‑term coping strategies were found to contribute to ERP underperformance. However, mismatches did not occur in isolation. Over time, coping strategies employed for one type of mismatch would result in another type of mismatch. In other cases coping strategies merely increased the mismatch. Only long‑term coping strategies rectified mismatches, contributing to ERP efficiency. The findings argue for providing sufficient resources for ongoing organisational capacity for customising and upgrading the system as well as for the training and support of end users. While previous research has focussed on identifying organisational memory mismatches, little research has been done on identifying the causes and the coping strategies. These findings will be useful for ERP implementation teams as well as organisations struggling to achieve organisational efficiencies with their ERP systems.

Abstract

Small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on a global scale in order to derive the undeniable benefits accruing from their use. The critical question arising here is which SMEs benefit from the adoption of ICTs. Thus, the purpose of this study is to find out why some SMEs reap more benefits than others from the adoption of ICTs, and which factors determine the successful use of ICTs. This paper analyses the influence data from the adoption of ICT in the Greek SME sector. In particular, SMEs were asked to rate the influence on the improvements of existing production procedures, enhancement of productivity and reduction of labor costs from the adoption of ICT. The ordinal regression method was used to model the relationships between the ordinal outcome variables and the predictor variables concerning ICT‑Strategy (implementation of a specific strategy for the adoption and use of ICTs) and entrepreneurial knowledge‑experience on ICT. A joint methodology using a fully‑structured questionnaire and in‑depth interviews was selected as the primary research instrument in order to paint as broad a picture as possible of the issues surrounding the application of ICT. The three ordinal regression models indicate that predictor variables such as the presence of specific strategy and entrepreneurial knowledge on ICT are associated with the influence of the ICT‑usage. Furthermore, the results of the study reveal that strategy plays a major role in the adoption and the appropriate use of ICT by SMEs. In addition, the prior entrepreneurial experience‑knowledge of ICT was significantly associated with the ICT performance. Both variables provide strong evidence that the technology performance must be a result of rational planning and knowledge. This study makes a major contribution in two ways. Firstly, it has demonstrated how the strategy and entrepreneurship are inter‑related parts of the ICT adoption process. Secondly, the information and communication technologies make the difference and offer tangible and intangible benefits only if properly applied.

Abstract

Distributed teams have been set up to work together across space, time and even organisational boundaries over the last few years, to increase the availability of scarce skills, reduce travel costs, and increase worker job satisfaction through fewer relocations. This has been due to globalisation, shorter development cycles and scarce human expert resources placing additional pressure onto project teams. Technological developments, such as various communication technologies, have helped to support this move to distributed teams. These communication technologies, including phone and video conferencing, mobile technologies and the Internet, help team members handle project tasks in a distributed or virtual team project environment. This case study based paper provides an analysis of the communication culture and tools of the distributed teams of a large German manufacturer. The communication behaviours and tools used by these real distributed teams working together in different settings on international projects are analysed. The advantages and disadvantages of the distributed work setting and the different technologies used by the teams were gathered via a questionnaire and interviews with the leader and members of the different teams. The findings show that regular face‑to‑face meetings, email and phone still play a pivotal role in team communications, even though a variety of communication tools is available. The results also indicate that, like non‑distributed teams, a need for common ground and shared meaning, or social context, are essential elements for the communications within a distributed team. Face‑to‑face meetings are still important to create a common ground and shared meaning in distributed teams. The complexity of the tasks needed to be performed by the distributed team is also affected by this social context. Team members often complain about misuse of the different tools, as well as a lack of communication rules regarding the different communication tools. The case study shows that team member satisfaction and team success can only be accomplished if the communication culture in the company takes into account the technologies used and the distributed work setting.